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Mercy Street #1
Mercy Street
From New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart comes a novel of sexy romantic suspense for fans of Nora Roberts, Catherine Coulter, and Karen Robards.
Mariah Stewart crafts compelling stories of romantic suspense, full of richly imagined characters, dazzling plot twists, and breathless action that keeps the pages turning. Now Stewart begins a thrilling new series–with a novel that proves to be her biggest and boldest yet.
On a balmy spring evening, four high school seniors–three boys and a girl–enter a park in the small Pennsylvania city of Conroy. The next morning, two of the boys are found shot to death, and the girl and the third boy are gone. After three weeks with no leads and no sign of either of the two missing teenagers, the chief of police begins to wonder if they too were victims. But with no other suspects, the authorities conclude that one of these kids was the shooter.
The missing boy’s grandmother, a secretary at the local parish church, maintains his innocence. On her behalf, the parish priest, Father Kevin Burch, hires former detective Mallory Russo as a private investigator to figure out what happened in the park that night. Mallory had ended her nine-year stint with the Conroy police force some time ago after becoming a target of a smear campaign. Now a true-crime author, Mallory is surprised to receive the priest’s offer–and highly intrigued by the case. She can’t help but accept the challenge–especially when she learns that her investigation will be financed by Father Burch’s cousin the reclusive billionaire Robert Magellan, a man whose own wife and infant son disappeared without a trace a year ago, a man who understands the heartache of not knowing what happened to a loved one.
Detective Charlie Wanamaker is facing another sort of tragedy. He fled Conroy years ago with no plans to return to what he considered a dying factory town–until a family emergency brought him back. Finding the situation much worse than he’d thought, he trades his job as a big-city detective for one with the Conroy police department. Assigned to the park shooting case, Charlie quickly realizes that the initial investigation left a lot of questions unanswered. Unofficially, he teams up with Mallory to uncover the truth and find the two kids, dead or alive. What Charlie and Mallory discover will take them down a twisted path that leads to an old unsolved murder–and justice for a killer with a heart of stone.
Mercy Street is tautly paced, resonant with emotion, and relentlessly gripping. It showcases Mariah Stewart at her most brilliant, as she ratchets up the suspense to new levels of excitement.
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Mariah Stewart's Cry Mercy.
Praise for Mariah Stewart
“Mariah Stewart is one to watch and savor for a long time.”–The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Stewart can always be counted on to write an exciting romantic suspense thriller.”–TheBestReviews.com
Mariah Stewart crafts compelling stories of romantic suspense, full of richly imagined characters, dazzling plot twists, and breathless action that keeps the pages turning. Now Stewart begins a thrilling new series–with a novel that proves to be her biggest and boldest yet.
On a balmy spring evening, four high school seniors–three boys and a girl–enter a park in the small Pennsylvania city of Conroy. The next morning, two of the boys are found shot to death, and the girl and the third boy are gone. After three weeks with no leads and no sign of either of the two missing teenagers, the chief of police begins to wonder if they too were victims. But with no other suspects, the authorities conclude that one of these kids was the shooter.
The missing boy’s grandmother, a secretary at the local parish church, maintains his innocence. On her behalf, the parish priest, Father Kevin Burch, hires former detective Mallory Russo as a private investigator to figure out what happened in the park that night. Mallory had ended her nine-year stint with the Conroy police force some time ago after becoming a target of a smear campaign. Now a true-crime author, Mallory is surprised to receive the priest’s offer–and highly intrigued by the case. She can’t help but accept the challenge–especially when she learns that her investigation will be financed by Father Burch’s cousin the reclusive billionaire Robert Magellan, a man whose own wife and infant son disappeared without a trace a year ago, a man who understands the heartache of not knowing what happened to a loved one.
Detective Charlie Wanamaker is facing another sort of tragedy. He fled Conroy years ago with no plans to return to what he considered a dying factory town–until a family emergency brought him back. Finding the situation much worse than he’d thought, he trades his job as a big-city detective for one with the Conroy police department. Assigned to the park shooting case, Charlie quickly realizes that the initial investigation left a lot of questions unanswered. Unofficially, he teams up with Mallory to uncover the truth and find the two kids, dead or alive. What Charlie and Mallory discover will take them down a twisted path that leads to an old unsolved murder–and justice for a killer with a heart of stone.
Mercy Street is tautly paced, resonant with emotion, and relentlessly gripping. It showcases Mariah Stewart at her most brilliant, as she ratchets up the suspense to new levels of excitement.
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Mariah Stewart's Cry Mercy.
Praise for Mariah Stewart
“Mariah Stewart is one to watch and savor for a long time.”–The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Stewart can always be counted on to write an exciting romantic suspense thriller.”–TheBestReviews.com
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
156 people are currently reading
2141 people want to read
About the author
Mariah Stewart
89 books1,529 followersMariah Stewart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of forty-one novels and three novellas and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. She is a RITA finalist in romantic suspense and the recipient of the Award of Excellence for contemporary romance, a RIO Award for excellence in women's fiction, and a Reviewers Choice Award from Romantic Times Magazine. A three-time winner of the Golden Leaf Award presented by the New Jersey Romance Writers, Stewart was recently awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award (which placed her in their Hall of Fame along with former recipients Nora Roberts and Mary Jo Putney — very excellent company, indeed!)
After having written seven contemporary romance novels, Stewart found true happiness writing murder and mayhem. She considers herself one lucky son of a gun to have landed the best job in the world: getting paid for making up stories. At home. In sweats and J. Crew flip flops. Could life be sweeter?
After having written seven contemporary romance novels, Stewart found true happiness writing murder and mayhem. She considers herself one lucky son of a gun to have landed the best job in the world: getting paid for making up stories. At home. In sweats and J. Crew flip flops. Could life be sweeter?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
February 21, 2017
In a small town of Conroy , Pennsylvania - Father Kevin Burch, needs help. He's hoping his wealthy cousin, Robert Magellan can help out one of his parishioners. He wants to hire a private investigator to look into the disappearance of two teenagers.
A few weeks earlier, four teenagers went to the local park to talk. Two of those boys were killed and left in the park, the other two Ryan and Courtney, disappeared. They are now the prime suspects in the other boys deaths. Father Kevin is hoping with a little money and some fresh eyes, they might be found.
Currently resigned from the Conroy Police Department we are introduced to Mallory Russo-she is asked to help out with the 2 missing children-and to help along the way, we then get to meet one of the newest police detectives of Conroy- Charlie Wanamaker.
Trust me when I say, this book is well worth the read- the first in the trilogy series. It has a little bit of everything, great characters, a real mystery, suspense, a little romance and dirty cops.
I'm looking forward to reading the second one in this series for sure!
A few weeks earlier, four teenagers went to the local park to talk. Two of those boys were killed and left in the park, the other two Ryan and Courtney, disappeared. They are now the prime suspects in the other boys deaths. Father Kevin is hoping with a little money and some fresh eyes, they might be found.
Currently resigned from the Conroy Police Department we are introduced to Mallory Russo-she is asked to help out with the 2 missing children-and to help along the way, we then get to meet one of the newest police detectives of Conroy- Charlie Wanamaker.
Trust me when I say, this book is well worth the read- the first in the trilogy series. It has a little bit of everything, great characters, a real mystery, suspense, a little romance and dirty cops.
I'm looking forward to reading the second one in this series for sure!
February 6, 2017
** 3.5 stars**
Very good beginning to a new series. I really enjoyed Mariah Stewart's Mercy Street. Recommended.
Very good beginning to a new series. I really enjoyed Mariah Stewart's Mercy Street. Recommended.
July 13, 2008
Mary Corcoran's grandson Ryan and three of his friends met in a neighbourhood park. Two of them were shot dead and Ryan and Courtney Bauer are missing. Since there was no robbery and no other suspects, Ryan and Courtenay are presumed guilty. Ryan's grandmother believes in their innocence and wants to find out what really happened. Where are the missing teens? Why were they meeting in a park after dark? Robert Magellan, whose wife and infant son disappeared one year ago, agrees to fund the investigation by a competent investigator if one exists.
Enter Mallory Russo, ex-cop. Mallory has just resigned from the police force after a smear campaign forced her resignation. It was either resign or find herself alone in a dangerous situation or take a friendly bullet in the back. Mallory is reluctant to take the case but finds herself becoming intrigued and gets involved. She is a born investigator with the intuition and stubbornness required.
The police are dragging their feet as they are short-handed because there is a sniper on the loose. Charlie Wanamaker is Russo's replacement and assigned to the case. Mallory and Charlie work together to find the teens before the real killer does. There is lots of sizzle between these two.
Stewart pulls the reader into the book because her characters are so well developed. I wanted to smack the macho cop who has it in for Mallory.
This book is obviously a springboard for a series based on Mallory Russo. I want to find out about how Mallory's and Charlie's relationship develops and want to read about more of Mallory's cases. Will Mallory's next case be Magellan's lost wife?
Enter Mallory Russo, ex-cop. Mallory has just resigned from the police force after a smear campaign forced her resignation. It was either resign or find herself alone in a dangerous situation or take a friendly bullet in the back. Mallory is reluctant to take the case but finds herself becoming intrigued and gets involved. She is a born investigator with the intuition and stubbornness required.
The police are dragging their feet as they are short-handed because there is a sniper on the loose. Charlie Wanamaker is Russo's replacement and assigned to the case. Mallory and Charlie work together to find the teens before the real killer does. There is lots of sizzle between these two.
Stewart pulls the reader into the book because her characters are so well developed. I wanted to smack the macho cop who has it in for Mallory.
This book is obviously a springboard for a series based on Mallory Russo. I want to find out about how Mallory's and Charlie's relationship develops and want to read about more of Mallory's cases. Will Mallory's next case be Magellan's lost wife?
July 30, 2018
Four high school seniors met in a Pennsylvania park one evening. Two were shot in the back of the head and the two others are missing. The local priest, Father Kevin, becomes involved because one of the boy's grandmother works for him. Father Kevin happens to be cousin to billionaire Robert Magellan so he asks Robert to foot the bill for a private investigator to look for the missing boy and girl. Former cop Mallory Russo is recommended to Father Kevin by the local police chief as being the best investigator he knows. Mallory teams up with a brand new member of the police force, Charlie Wanamaker, to search for the missing teens.
I liked this romantic suspense from 2008 better than most I read in this genre for a couple of reasons: 1) light on the romance and heavy on the crime investigation, and 2) development of the characters. I liked former cop Mallory and the way she conducted her investigations. I also liked new cop Charlie with his devotion to his family and reasonable manner of working the crime. I would like to see Mallory figure out what happened to Robert's missing wife and child so I will be looking for the next book in this series.
I liked this romantic suspense from 2008 better than most I read in this genre for a couple of reasons: 1) light on the romance and heavy on the crime investigation, and 2) development of the characters. I liked former cop Mallory and the way she conducted her investigations. I also liked new cop Charlie with his devotion to his family and reasonable manner of working the crime. I would like to see Mallory figure out what happened to Robert's missing wife and child so I will be looking for the next book in this series.
July 13, 2009
I loved this book! Mallory and Charlie made a great team, I liked how he listened to her opinion and how he respected her as a person. Robert was a pretty dark person, he made me want to cry for his loss. The Assistant Suse was great until the last couple of chapters, I think that if Mallory ever gets hired to find Robert's family Mallory will be in danger form Suse. She seem a bit obsessed with finding Beth and Ian dead...maybe so she can be the one there to pick up the pieces of Robert and put him back together and then have a "happily ever after" with him. I picked up the next one in the series...can't wait to read that one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2017
There are several stories in Mercy Street. Billionaire Robert Magellan whose wife and son disappears, Mallory Russo, a good detective, set-up by jealous co-workers; DET Charlie Wanamaker who returns to Conroy to help out his mother and sister, and in a city playground two teenaged boys are shot dead while two of their friends manage to escape the killer. All of the stories are interesting and all come to a resolution except Robert Magellan’s. Mercy street reads like a lead-in to a series.
May 2, 2016
I find it incredibly likely that what happened to Mallory happens in the real world police force (rumor mongering, sexist comments and harassment). Not because I have am especially low opinion of the police, but because some people never grow out of the high school mentality and a lot of them are drawn to positions of authority and power. It's very much still a "man's job", which makes it difficult for women to break through that glass ceiling.
May 2, 2009
This is a light, easy to read mystery, with not a lot of guess work--seemed kind of evident where the story was going, on several levels. But the writing is at times promising, I will probably read the next in the series.
May 2, 2022
I was drawn into this book immediately. I loved the over-arching Robert Magellan plot and the more urgent teenager-shooting plot. The way they were interwoven was very interesting and I am desperate to know what happened to Beth and Ian.
I liked the plot, it was solid but it was a bit eyebrow raising at times. Mallory did tend to guess but just happened to be entirely correct about everything including quite minor details. Sometimes totally off intuition alone. It was fine, it didn't make me want to stop reading but I think I'd have liked more evidence and investigation and less guesswork.
The sniper storyline was clearly introduced for a reason but it felt way way WAY too neat. One too many ends tied up. I would have preferred justice not to have been served in any way other than Mallory going on to more worthy things.
Otherwise I enjoyed the ride and would absolutely try and read the rest of the series.
I liked the plot, it was solid but it was a bit eyebrow raising at times. Mallory did tend to guess but just happened to be entirely correct about everything including quite minor details. Sometimes totally off intuition alone. It was fine, it didn't make me want to stop reading but I think I'd have liked more evidence and investigation and less guesswork.
The sniper storyline was clearly introduced for a reason but it felt way way WAY too neat. One too many ends tied up. I would have preferred justice not to have been served in any way other than Mallory going on to more worthy things.
Otherwise I enjoyed the ride and would absolutely try and read the rest of the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2019
When two teens are murdered on a playground and two teens are missing and the police are coming up empty, a priest, Father Kevin Burch, asks his billionaire cousin ,Robert Magellan, to hire a PI for the grandmother of one of the missing kids. The PI isn’t quite a PI, but is a former police detective, Mallory Russo. When Mallory takes on the case she begins to see things differently then the police force did. With help from a new detective, Charlie Wanamaker, from the force, the two are beginning to see the real picture of what really happened on the playground that day.
I really enjoyed this story. The beginning drew me right in. And I stayed hooked until the very end. I can’t wait to continue my adventure with Mallory, Charlie, Robert, and Susanna. I thought this made a great start to a new series. I enjoyed the mystery, the romance, the drama, and the thrills.
I really enjoyed this story. The beginning drew me right in. And I stayed hooked until the very end. I can’t wait to continue my adventure with Mallory, Charlie, Robert, and Susanna. I thought this made a great start to a new series. I enjoyed the mystery, the romance, the drama, and the thrills.
February 10, 2025
Mercy Street
I can appreciate a really good crime drama. Really loved how Mallory and Charlie met and how spooked she was by him, and like how once they knew the score between them that they just took charge and started looking for the missing teens. I love how Robert is clueless to what Susanna is up to investigating his wife and son's disappearce. How he decided that once Mallory solved the case with the two missing teens he decided he would just start a foundation and find a crime fighting team to help with unsolvable cases ( as far as the police are concerned) really good read. 5 stars
I can appreciate a really good crime drama. Really loved how Mallory and Charlie met and how spooked she was by him, and like how once they knew the score between them that they just took charge and started looking for the missing teens. I love how Robert is clueless to what Susanna is up to investigating his wife and son's disappearce. How he decided that once Mallory solved the case with the two missing teens he decided he would just start a foundation and find a crime fighting team to help with unsolvable cases ( as far as the police are concerned) really good read. 5 stars
March 20, 2025
This is a bad book. The writing is adequate and there is a potentially interesting and exciting plot. The problem is with execution. This book is just boring. There is no sense of tension. Most of the book is dialogue -- dry, bland dialogue. There is no sexy banter, no amusing asides, no enticing stories. Just talk, talk, talk. The high point of the plot, the shoot out between the book's heroes and the villian, takes all of three pages. The conclusion is nothing more than an information dump.
May 19, 2019
This book starts out with a mystery and ends with a mystery yet to be solved. During this time Mallory a cop that resigned due to bad cops on the force becomes a PI to find a couple missing teenagers that are running from a killer. Will she be too late and who will help her? This series starts out great with definite suspense and is a page turner. I will definitely read the next in this series.
January 8, 2026
“So our foundation should be the vehicle … the road … to finding a little. Mercy Road. Miracle Road. Mercy Way…”
“Mercy Street.”
I love this book. I think this was my third re-read?
The story starts with our billionaire, whose wife and infant son went missing a year ago. And the kind act of funding the search for the two missing teens in his small town. An ex-cop, with an eye for details and a brand new detective work together to find the teens.
Love love love.
“Mercy Street.”
I love this book. I think this was my third re-read?
The story starts with our billionaire, whose wife and infant son went missing a year ago. And the kind act of funding the search for the two missing teens in his small town. An ex-cop, with an eye for details and a brand new detective work together to find the teens.
Love love love.
November 2, 2017
A perfectly serviceable start to this series. Leaves a lot of doors open for the next installment. While a lot of the characterizations were thin, and the “mystery” pretty obvious from the start, there was enough tangents left untouched this go around that I’d be interested in seeing where the series goes.
January 21, 2018
Mercy series
I read the second book in the series first but was not discouraged by that fact. Mariah Stewart's books are able to stand on their own. This was a very fast read. She takes you in immediately and the story never lags. Very good writer. Getting ready to read book three. Finished other two in two days!
I read the second book in the series first but was not discouraged by that fact. Mariah Stewart's books are able to stand on their own. This was a very fast read. She takes you in immediately and the story never lags. Very good writer. Getting ready to read book three. Finished other two in two days!
December 2, 2018
This was a good book. The story was really good. There were 2 mysteries in the book but only 1 was the main focus. The characters were really relatable and I enjoyed reading about them. The ending was good. Not sappy or happy ever after just a good solid ending with the promise of more stories to come with the characters
February 20, 2019
DNF @ 29%
Great prose and writing but there's too many POVs along with 3 murder/disappearance mysteries going at the same time with no connection with each other. It seems more like a setup for next books rather than a setp for a good old murder/mystery story for the current book. Unfortunately because of that, I thought the flow was just too odd.
August 11, 2021
Excellent crime story with some really great clues for the reader to follow. The first in a trilogy of books that held my interest completely. The characters were solid and believable and likable which to me is important. A satisfactory conclusion but still a bit of mystery left to wonder about. Highly recommended.
November 19, 2023
I didn’t think I’d enjoy this book as much as I did, but I thought it was a great story. I really enjoyed Mallory and Charlie and was cheering for them the entire time. There was the background plot that I hoped would’ve gotten a more satisfying ending, but what we got was still good. I look forward to the next book.
April 21, 2018
I have read several books by Mariah Stewart but none from her "Mercy Series" . I like her romantic series but am really hooked on the the Mercy series which have a totally different flavor. In 10 days I have read "Mercy Street", "Acts of Mercy" and will start "Cry Mercy" tonight.
July 2, 2018
Mercy Street is full of Mercy
This was an excellent book of a very rich man willing to help those that had no means to hire someone to find their missing family or friends. Good to know it could easily happen in real life too! Still some good people out there!
This was an excellent book of a very rich man willing to help those that had no means to hire someone to find their missing family or friends. Good to know it could easily happen in real life too! Still some good people out there!
April 1, 2019
I had a feeling I'd read this book before, but couldn't remember. I hadn't, but I've definitely read the other two books in the series. I loved Mallory and Charlie. Their chemistry on, and off, the case was undeniable. I definitely feel the need to revisit the other Mercy Street books now.
July 15, 2019
1er tome des aventures de Mallory russo. L'intrigue principale est bien développée, les personnages sont sympathiques. on attend la suite pour découvrir ce qui est arrivé à la femme de Robert Magellan.
March 28, 2020
I am anxious to see what the next book brings. I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. thought I knew exactly where this book was going. Right up til the end, I kept thinking it would do what I thought it would. And... Well I am not going to tel you. You will have to read it for yourself.
June 4, 2017
A very good first book in a series. The characters are well-developed and have some interesting backstories. The plot moves steadily along until the final resolution.
June 9, 2017
This is the first book in the Mercy three series there are three books. I will read the other two books.
August 17, 2018
Suspense and murder from an author who also writes sweet romance. This book is more of an adult read than others by this author and shows that Mariah Stewart is multi-talented as a writer,
September 11, 2018
My kind of book
I was hooked from the start and never got bored. Liked the characters and i always like a bit of romance.
I was hooked from the start and never got bored. Liked the characters and i always like a bit of romance.
February 5, 2019
I am not a mystery fan but I am a Mariah Stewart fan so I chose one of her mystery books for a challenge and really liked it. This was book #1 in a series and I will definitely go on to book #2.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews